A basketball coach tells his team the following just before they go out on the court. The same coaching counts for life, especially the Christian life.

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You are going out on that court, five against five, against your peers—the outcome fair game. Give it everything you’ve got, leave it all on the court—start the game with integrity, play with integrity, and end with integrity. You will need that, above and beyond ability, for those times when you will be five against seven.

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In the ‘game of life’, every Christian is in a battle, a war, a spiritual war—and much of it is unseen, and much of it is unfair. How do we deal with that, like the basketball team against five opponents plus the refs? How? We go to the Bible, read it often, so we can quote it out loud to the unseen enemies in the war.

“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (physical), but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Use the name of Jesus and the Word of God, and defeat the enemy.

-Not by seeing or saying how good I am.

-Not by the greatest show on church stage.

-Not by seeking happiness.

-Not by material blessings.

-Not by getting comfortable.

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Am I experiencing goodness?

Am I experiencing trouble?

Can I get close to God?

Do I want to get close to God?

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First of all, it’s all about Him, not me.

So, what does He have to say about getting close to Him?

What does He have to say about pleasing Him?

What can I give God, what can I sacrifice, that could impress Him, and get us close?

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How can I get close to God?

+”The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit—a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

+”The goodness of God is supposed to lead you to repentance.”

+”Call upon Me in the day of trouble—I will deliver you—and you will glorify me.”

+”Call on Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things you don’t know.”

+”Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Getting close to God is not about what I think would do it, but yielding to His way to get us close.

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And now the big one, to get really close to God.

According to Christians around the world, right now, the most guaranteed way to experience the best, the sweetest closeness with God, is through persecution.

Not my idea of fun, but again, what does God say about getting close to Him?

+”Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake . . .

+Blessed are you, when men will revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake.

+Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”